Ilana in the Cloud Forest

Good afternoon, my loyal readers, I hope you all had wonderful weekends.  I'm currently writing to you, sitting by the edge of the pool at my beautiful hostel in Mérida, Yucatán, where I've been for the last several days. When most people think about the Yucatán peninsula, they think about Cancún and the beach resorts on the Caribbean coast. But what most people don't know about are the secluded beaches with incredible wildlife, the underground system of freshwater pools called cenotes , and the rich culture and heritage of the Maya people who are alive and well, despite our understanding of the "collapse" of the Mayan civilization.  When I planned this trip, I truly had no clue how beautiful this part of Mexico was going to be. But it was beyond what I could ever imagine.  So let me take the chance to tell you more about it. I left for my trip on Monday of last week and spent two nights in Querétaro. After arriving in the afternoon on Monday, I ran some errands a...